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Divorce and Separation

A checklist for changes and updates you may need to make if you're getting divorced, legally separated, or ending a domestic partnership.

What To Know

  • A divorce, legal separation, or dissolving a domestic partnership is considered a qualifying event, which allows you to make changes to your benefits*. 
  • Some situations for divorce or separation require an employee to take action regarding benefits, some of which have deadlines:
    • If they are enrolled in your benefits, you must disenroll your spouse or domestic partner from your Cornell benefits.
    • If they are not enrolled in your benefits, you can still make applicable changes to your Cornell benefits.

Be aware of deadlines!

Please be aware that if you decide to make changes due to your recent qualifying event, some benefits have deadlines you must adhere to as follows:

Within 30 days

  • Contract College benefits-eligible employees have 30 days from the date of their qualifying event to make applicable benefit changes to their medical and dental plans.

Within 60 days

  • Endowed benefits-eligible employees have 60 days from the date of their qualifying event to make applicable benefit changes to endowed health, dental and vision plans.
  • Both Contract college and endowed benefits-eligible employees have 60 days from the date of their qualifying event to make applicable benefit changes to:
    • Flexible Spending Accounts
    • Legal Plan Insurance
    • Group Universal Life (GUL) Insurance

Read the Benefit Aids below for details, and contact HR Services and Transitions Center at 607-255-3936 with any questions.

* An employee’s benefit change(s) must be consistent with the qualifying life event that has occurred.


Checklist

  1. Review Your Benefits Options

    Be sure to make any changes within the deadlines.

    Endowed

    Contract College

  2. Other Updates

    To change beneficiary information for your life insurance and retirement plans, contact vendors directly.